The NCAA has approved significant changes to the Football Bowl Subdivision calendar, effective January 1, 2027, including an earlier season start, a shortened transfer portal window, and a restructured offseason practice model that introduces NFL-style voluntary workouts.
Schedule Changes
The FBS season will begin one week earlier, moving Week 1 to what is currently designated as Week 0. Each team will receive a second bye week during the season. The preseason will consist of 21 practices over 27 calendar days, reduced from the current 25 practices over 31 days.
Offseason Practice Reforms
Teams will be permitted to conduct 21 on-field practices across two sessions in the offseason, with the combined sessions not exceeding seven weeks and no single session lasting more than five weeks. Schools must also designate a minimum of nine discretionary or voluntary weeks during which athletic activities are not permitted.
Transfer Portal Window Shortened
The January transfer portal window will be reduced from 15 days to 10 days, opening on the first business day after January 1. The spring transfer portal window has been eliminated, further limiting the time players have to enter the transfer market.
The changes were developed by the NCAA oversight committee in collaboration with the American Football Coaches Association. Committee vice chair Josh Brooks, athletic director at Georgia, said the work ensures a calendar that fits the needs of coaches and student-athletes. Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea, committee member and AFCA president, called the new schedule a "great step forward for our game." The Division I Cabinet must approve the changes at its October 6-7 meeting for them to take effect on January 1.
